Plan for Australia's largest solar farm approved
Xinhua, February 13, 2015 Adjust font size:
Australian local government authorities this week approved a plan to build the nation's biggest solar farm at a cost of more than 1 billion U.S. dollars, sources said on Friday.
The Toowoomba Regional Council approved the staged construction of a 5,000 hectare site at Bulli Creek in southwest Queensland and developer Solar Choice plans to start construction next year.
The solar farm will have the capacity of producing 2,000 megawatts (MW), more power than any one coal-fired power station in Queensland.
Solar Choice managing director Angus Gemmell said the approval came after 18 months of planning.
"It's almost mind-boggling large, just the width of the project is eight kilometers," he told Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
"It's soaked in sunshine, there's great irradiance levels west of the Great Divide," he said.
Gemmell said the project has attracted strong overseas investor interest, and would be completed in stages over eight years. Endi